Adjustable rack



Patented Feb. 9, 1943 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an adjustable article holding rack of simple construction and which is especially adapted for holding led papers, cards or the like to replace guide cards and which is capable of use in a plurality of different positions for adapting the device for a plurality of different purposes.

More particularly, it is an aim o1" the invention to provide an adjustable rack which may lbe employed as an inside unit for le drawers, as a desk unit for filing papers, as a display rack for merchandise, as a housing unit for visible record files, or as a shelf unit, and which may be arranged to rest on a suitable supporting surface in a horizontal position, a perpendicular position or horizontally on a side thereof, or which can be hung on the wall.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a rack that can be used for holding papers for collating or as a sorting unit.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide an adjustable rack formed of lazy tong members which are connected in spaced apart, substantially parallel relationship and which are provided with extensions on corresponding ends of certain of the individual elements of the lazy tong members to combine with parts of other elements of said members to form article holding rack portions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of one form of the adjustable rack, showing the rack in an extended or open position and resting on one edge thereof in a horizontal position,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional View taken substantially along the plane oi the `line 1 -l of Figure l, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the rack in a folded or closed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the diierent views, I0 designa-tes generally an adjustable rack constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive. The rack I0 includes corresponding lazy tongs Il and I2, each of which is formed of a plurality of complementary elongated members or bars I3 and elongated members or bars lli. The bars I3 and I4 of each of the lazy tongs i I and I2 are pivotally` connected to one` another at their ends and Imiddles as at I5 by means of dowels i5, the ends of which looselyY engage corresponding pivot points of the lazy tongs Il and I2. It will thus be seen that the dowels I6 not only provide pivots for the bars I3 andv I of each oi the lazy tongs, but also connect the lazy tongs il and I2 in spaced apart substantially parallel relationship, as best s een in Figure 2, and so that the lazy tongs il and I2 will be extended or retracted as a unit when therack `I is opened or closed, respectively.

The rack Iii is intended tov be sup-ported on one edge thereof on a suitable supporting surface, as seen in Figure 1, so-that the rack Will rest on complementary ends of the bars I3 and I4 of both lazy tongs. The opposite ends of the bars Iii are provided with extensions I1 which form upwardly projecting continuations thereof and all of which are disposed substantially parallel and inclined relatively to the perpendicular.

The complementary extensions l1 of the lazy tongs II and I2 combine with complementary upper portions of the bars I3 and lli of both lazy tong members to form inclined article holding rack portions I8, each of which is disposed at an inclination to the perpendicular, and which are adapted to hold les, papers, cards or other articles or merchandise, as indicated at I9, in Figure 1.

If desired, the portions of the bars I3 and I4 and the extensions Il of the lazy tongs Il and I2 which combine to form the diiierent rack portions I8 may be provided with strips of sheetlike material 20, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, which are attached to complementary parts of the rack portions I8 for iilling in the open spaces thereof between the parts of the rack portions which are formed by the different lazy tongs II and I2. The iill-in strips 20 may be omitted, if desired, and are essential only when the articles I9, to be held in the rack portions I8, are not as wide as the lill-in members 20 so that if said members were omitted the articles I9 could slip through the space between the lazy tongs I I and I2 and thus drop out of the rack portions I8. likewise, it is to be understood that although only a few of the rack portions IB are shown provided with the ll-in elements 20 that -all 0f said portions I8 may be thus filled in, as desired.

It will be readily apparent that the adjustable rack may be laid on one of its sides so that it will appear as in Figure 1, if said view were a top plan View, and when thus arranged it could be used as an inside unit for iile drawers. It also is apparent that the rack bars may be formed of any suitable material including wood, metal, plastics.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the appended claims, as only preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

l. An adjustable collating rack consisting of spaced series of pairs of parallel bars', spaced series of pairs of parallel bars longer than the bars of the rst series, three dowels connecting each of the rst mentioned pairs of bars at their ends and centers to the second mentioned pairs of bars in spaced relation to the upper ends of the second mentioned bars so that the bars are connected in lazy tong fashion, whereby co1- lating spaces are provided at the top of the rack between adjacent pairs of parallel oblique extensions of the second mentioned bars and those portions of the adjacent rst mentioned bars located between the upper and center dowels of the bars.

2. An adjustable collating rack consisting of spaced series of pairs of parallel bars, spaced series of pairs of parallel bars longer than the bars of the rst series, three dowels connecting each of the first mentioned pairs of bars at their ends and center to the second mentioned pairs of bars in spaced relation to the upper ends oi the second mentioned bars so that the bars are connected in lazy tong fashion, whereby collating spaces are provided at the top of the rack between adjacent pairs of parallel oblique extensions of the second mentioned bars and those portions of the adjacent rst mentioned bars located between the upper and center dowels of the bars, and flat ll-in strip means extending from the center dowels to the ends of the first series of bars and to the ends of the extensions of the second series of bars.

3. An adjustable rack as in claim 1, said lazy tong members being adapted to be disposed with their longitudinal axes in substantially vertical planes so that said extensions will project outwardly and upwardly from one side of the rack so that the rack portions will be disposed at an oblique angle to the perpendicular.

4. An adjustable collating rack consisting of spaced series of pairs of parallel bars, a second series of pairs of spaced parallel bars longer than the first bars, three dowels connecting the firstmentioned bars and the second-mentioned bars at their centers and remote therefrom in lazy tong fashion, whereby collating spaces are provided at the top of the rack between adjacent pairs of the second-mentioned bars, and pairs of flat strip means extending from the center dowels in V-shaped relationship and supported on the dowels remote from the center dowels, one of each pair of strip means being materially longer than the other of each pair and extending above the supporting top dowel.

LUTrmR W. EVANS. 

